Description: Too often, SEL is applied without recognizing students' cultural assets and lived experiences. This session reclaims SEL as a vehicle for equity by centering identity, agency, and authenticity. Educators will explore the foundations of Transformative SEL (tSEL), reflect on how their own identities influence relationships, and develop strategies to honor the cultural wisdom and emotional strengths students bring to school.
Participants will walk away with:
A clear understanding of Transformative SEL and its equity-centered foundations
Insight into how students’ cultural identities enrich SEL practices
Reflective tools to explore educator identity and relational dynamics
Practices that foster inclusive, identity-affirming SEL rooted in community and connection
